Texon, the producer of materials for the footwear industry, is seeking to achieve what it calls a “zerofootprint” by 2025. It is pledging over the next five years to reduce its carbon footprint and use of virgin raw materials – particularly cellulose – by 50 percent, to increase the portion of recyclable or reusable waste in its total to 90 percent, and reduce its water consumption and water waste by 20 percent. As for methods, Texon’s chief executive, Jelle Tolsma, says the company will be “embedding the five Rs of sustainability into everything we do: Rethink, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Recover.” Changes in transport, he continues, will be key to reducing Texon’s emissions of CO2. This could mean moving factories closer to the customer base or substituting ocean freight for air freight. The company says that at present 80 percent of its supply of polyester fiber is recycled, and its factory in Dongguan, China, claims to treat and reuse all of its wastewater. Texon has also set up post-production recycling programs for such products as the Reform, the 87 Series, the Rite and the XO. The company operates in about 90 countries.

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